| Two students wounded in Colo. school shooting Posted: 13 Dec 2013 04:28 PM PST  A shotgun-wielding student, who targeted a particular teacher, is dead, police say.
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| US faces new pressure over missing CIA contractor Posted: 13 Dec 2013 02:30 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration faced intensified pressure Friday to find former CIA contractor Robert Levinson — both from lawmakers and the Levinson family — nearly seven years after he disappeared in Iran during what now has been revealed as an unofficial spy mission.
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| More purges may follow execution in North Korea Posted: 13 Dec 2013 09:38 AM PST  PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — The execution of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle brought a swift and violent end to a man long considered the country's second most powerful figure. But while Jang Song Thaek is now gone, the fallout from his purge is not over.
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| Prospects for budget legislation solid in Senate Posted: 13 Dec 2013 04:16 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — One day after winning lopsided House approval, bipartisan legislation to ease across-the-board spending cuts and reduce economy-rattling budget brinkmanship appears likely to command the 60 votes necessary to clear the Senate, officials in both parties said Friday.
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| AP Photos: Newtown images tell tale of grief, hope Posted: 13 Dec 2013 02:20 PM PST  As incredible as the news coming out of Newtown was a year ago, as wrenching as the images of frightened children and grieving relatives were, delicate expressions of support and hope also emerged.
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| Brisk sales raise Mega Millions jackpot to $425M Posted: 13 Dec 2013 04:48 PM PST  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Superstition didn't deter players hoping that Friday the 13th would bring them good luck in the recently revamped Mega Millions game, as heavy sales prompted lottery officials to boost the jackpot from $400 million to $425 million.
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| Beyonce announces, releases new album on same day Posted: 13 Dec 2013 02:05 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — Beyonce has released her new album in an unconventional way: She announced and dropped it on the same day.
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| Winston says he knew he would 'be vindicated' Posted: 13 Dec 2013 03:44 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — Jameis Winston smiled and laughed, posing for pictures with the other Heisman Trophy finalists and the big bronze statue that he is expected to take home.
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| Sheriff: Colo. school shooter wounds 2, kills self Posted: 13 Dec 2013 03:16 PM PST  CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — A student who went to his suburban Denver high school Friday armed with a shotgun and looking for a specific teacher shot two students, including one critically, before apparently killing himself, the local sheriff said.
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| North Korea purge mirrors those in 20th century Posted: 13 Dec 2013 03:17 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — For people familiar with the way that dictators such as Stalin, Hitler and Mao methodically ousted their opponents, the purging and execution of the No. 2 official in North Korea is nothing new.
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| Militant rise galvanizes Assad's camp in Syria war Posted: 13 Dec 2013 10:17 AM PST  DAMACUS, Syria (AP) — Ahmed Luay's second-eldest son, a soldier in the Syrian army, fell in battle with rebels just over a month ago. Three more of his sons are still on the front lines in the Damascus suburbs. Luay insists he's prepared to sacrifice them all in what he says is a war against a terrorist invasion.
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| AP PHOTOS: Signs of global devotion to Mandela Posted: 13 Dec 2013 11:24 AM PST  Nelson Mandela became a hero around the world, as shown by the number of streets, schools, bridges and restaurants named for the South African leader. Here's a look at how Mandela has been honored in cities including London, Paris, New York, New Delhi, Montreal and Oakland.
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| AP Photos: Newtown images tell a story of grieving Posted: 13 Dec 2013 01:59 PM PST As incredible as the news coming out of Newtown was a year ago, as wrenching as the images of frightened children and grieving relatives were, delicate expressions of support and hope also emerged. |
| Hawaii survivor: Plane lost power, then glided Posted: 13 Dec 2013 04:18 PM PST  HONOLULU (AP) — When the lone engine of a commercial plane failed, the nine people on board stayed calm as the aircraft glided toward the ocean and made a remarkably smooth belly landing, a survivor recounted Friday.
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| NSA agent open to cutting a deal with Snowden Posted: 13 Dec 2013 02:45 PM PST  A National Security Agency official said in an interview released Friday that he would be open to cutting an amnesty deal with intelligence leaker Edward Snowden if he agreed to stop divulging secret documents. Rick Ledgett, who heads the NSA's task force investigating the damage from the Snowden leaks, told CBS television's "60 Minutes" program that some but not all of his colleagues share his view. But Snowden would have to provide firm assurances that the remaining documents would be secured. Snowden, a former intelligence contractor for the NSA, has been charged with espionage by US authorities for divulging reams of secret files.
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| Airport worker arrested in 'violent jihad' car bomb plot in Kansas Posted: 13 Dec 2013 04:43 PM PST  WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who prosecutors say sympathized with violent terrorists was arrested Friday as part of an FBI sting after he drove a vehicle loaded with what he thought were explosives to a Wichita airport.
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| Fake interpreter reportedly faced murder charge Posted: 13 Dec 2013 02:31 PM PST  JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's government was confronted Friday with a new and chilling allegation about the bogus sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial: He was reportedly accused of murder 10 years ago.
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| Mandela memorial interpreter previously accused of murder Posted: 13 Dec 2013 07:30 AM PST  Thamasanqa Jantjie, better known as the "fake" sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial, reportedly has faced a long series of criminal charges in South Africa, including murder and rape. That's according to a report from eNCA, a 24-hour news network in Africa. Earlier this week, Jantjie confirmed that he has a history of mental illness, including schizophrenia.
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| Dog helps Alaska woman survive three nights in cold Posted: 13 Dec 2013 10:23 AM PST  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A woman survived nearly three nights in bitter interior Alaska cold by burning her snowmobile and huddling with her small dog, Alaska State Troopers said Thursday.
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| With some coding lessons, homeless man launches an app Posted: 13 Dec 2013 09:03 AM PST  There are millions of apps available for mobile phones. Some are good, some are not, but few have truly compelling stories about their creation.
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| Watch: Aurora borealis captured on trans-Atlantic flight Posted: 13 Dec 2013 06:40 AM PST  While flying on a trans-Atlantic flight from London to New York, passenger Paul Williams captured a stunning time-lapse video of the Aurora Borealis. Watch it, but be careful — your jaw is likely to drop all the way to the ground.
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| Man arrested in Wichita bomb plot Posted: 13 Dec 2013 12:13 PM PST  Terry Lee Loewen planned detonate a carload of explosives, police say.
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| Kim’s executed uncle vilified for traits including poor clapping Posted: 13 Dec 2013 07:53 AM PST  Jang Song Thaek rose from a municipal bureaucrat to North Korea's No. 2 official — behind only leader Kim Jong Un.
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| 'I'll always be the Newtown priest' Posted:  Monsignor Robert Weiss carries a shade of grief that is uniquely his own.
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| Iran quits nuclear talks over new blacklisting Posted: 13 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST  U.S. accused of going against the spirit of a landmark agreement by expanding its sanctions.
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| Man arrested for suspected suicide plot to blow up Kansas airport Posted: 13 Dec 2013 02:14 PM PST Authorities said Friday they foiled a suicide bombing plot to blow up the Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kansas, arresting a man who proclaimed himself Muslim and had talked of committing "violent jihad on behalf of al Qaeda." Terry Loewen, a 58-year-old aviation technician from Wichita, was taken into custody early Friday morning as he attempted to enter the airport tarmac with a vehicle loaded with what authorities said he believed were explosives. Loewen has been under investigation by the Wichita Joint Terrorism Task Force since early summer and had been working on the bomb plot with individuals he thought were accomplices. But they were actually undercover FBI agents, according to the criminal complaint filed in federal court in Wichita. Loewen thought one of the undercover agents was a member of "AQAP," a Yemen-based terrorist group that has claimed responsibility for several terrorist acts against the United States, according to the criminal complaint. |
| Storm brings misery and mayhem to Mideast Posted: 13 Dec 2013 08:25 AM PST  A powerful winter storm is taking a disproportionate toll on the 2.2 million refugees living outside Syria and the 6.5 million people displaced within the country.
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| South Africa investigates sign interpreter Posted: 13 Dec 2013 07:10 AM PST Government says it is aware of reports that the bogus sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial once faced a murder charge. |
| Beyonce surprises fans with new album on iTunes Posted:  Singer releases highly-anticipated album exclusively on iTunes without any warning or promotion.
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| Rights group: European response to Syrian refugees "pitiful" Posted: 13 Dec 2013 08:18 AM PST  Amnesty International report finds EU member states have offered spots for just a tiny fraction of those who have fled brutal fighting.
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| Four people stabbed in parking lot after Denver game Posted:  Four people were stabbed outside of Sports Authority Field following the Denver Broncos' loss to the San Diego Chargers on Thursday night, according to the Denver Post.
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| What's next for N. Korea's Kim Jong Un? Posted: 13 Dec 2013 03:44 AM PST  After his uncle's execution as a traitor, more purges may follow.
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| Twitter backtracks on block feature after users revolt Posted: 12 Dec 2013 09:28 PM PST  By Gerry Shih SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter Inc was forced to nix a change to its "block" feature on Thursday after attracting a wave of protest from users who said the new policy empowered perpetrators of online abuse. The humbling reversal on one of the most sensitive policy issues facing the social network came as Twitter encountered user revolt for the first time as a public company. Under the short-lived change on Thursday, a blocked Twitter user could view or tweet at the person who blocked him or her, but that activity would have been rendered invisible to the victim as if the offending account did not exist. Before it backtracked, Twitter had said Thursday that the change was meant to protect victims of harassment who wanted to filter out abusive messages but feared that the act of blocking a user would prompt retaliation.
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